


Bloody Lips

by Avanalae



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Angst, Blood, Illnesses, M/M, pairing is implied
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-09-23
Updated: 2017-09-23
Packaged: 2019-01-04 12:57:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 766
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12169332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Avanalae/pseuds/Avanalae
Summary: Ra's will not let his detective go down like this.





	Bloody Lips

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted May 2013.

It’s quiet aside from the sounds of his coughing.

The scenery is unchanging aside from new splatters of blood staining the carpet.

His body hurts.

His head.

His chest.

Everything hurts.

His vision is blurry during these episodes, his mind spinning and his head throbbing.

That’s why he’s home so much these days. He can’t risk having an episode out in public. And they’ve changed. They come on more suddenly now.

He hacks, the sound echoing wetly in his chest.

The outburst stops a while later and he lies still on the floor, the carpet too warm and too rough against his face.

He’s just so tired…

He falls asleep facing a pool of his own blood.

_

Tim awakes in a place and a position he did not fall asleep in.

After a minute or so of just staring at the ceiling, he gets the strength to turn his head. In a chair next to the bed sits Ra’s, reading a book.

If he hadn’t been so tired he may have reacted more drastically, but as it is he just stares at the man.

A second or two later Ra’s closes the book and looks up, “Hello, Timothy.”

Tim blinks slowly and looks at him questioningly.

“I found you in your apartment, Timothy,” Ra’s face turns dark in a scowl. “Blood on the floor and on yourself.”

Tim turns his head away. He never wanted anyone to find out, let alone his arch-nemesis.

Ra’s stands and towers over Tim from the side of the bed.  “I am impressed… but furious that you managed to hide this from everyone for so long.”

Tim sighs, the breath coming out harsh. “I didn’t-“ he swallows, trying to wet his throat. Ra’s notices and grabs a nearby cup.  He tips it over and an ice cube falls into his hand. The elder man puts it against Tim’s lips in offering and it is accepted.

After a second ice cube, Tim feels a bit better. “I didn’t… I didn’t want anyone to know.”

“You were planning on dying alone, to let your family find your body in your apartment?” Ra’s sounds angry and it almost makes Tim smile, but that smile is stopped by what he’s saying. “You were just going to let this illness consume you, without seeking help?”

Tim turns his head away from Ra’s again but a large hand is suddenly gripping his chin and pulls so they are facing. He instinctively brings a hand up in perhaps some sort of attempt to keep the man hovering so close over him away.

There is silence, but Tim can only take so much of that with those intense dark eyes staring into his.

“I… I didn’t think anyone would…” Tim averts his eyes, “…care.”

A deep puff of breath brushes his face. “Fools. All of them.” His chin is released and Ra’s straightens. “They are fools for doing this to you.”

“Doing…?”

“I’m not talking about your illness.” Ra’s growls, “I am talking about them reducing you this…  _ _shell__  of what you were and what you could be.”

Tim blinks, frowning.

Ra’s stares at him for a moment, seemingly taking in his expression before jerkily looking to the bedside table. “Where is your strength, Timothy? That strength I saw and respected what seems to be so long ago now? That intelligence, strength, and beauty that made you Timothy Drake.” Tim feels his cheeks burn from the choice of words. “You are but a shadow of yourself, now. You are so tired and broken.”

“It’s not their fa-“

“Don’t you dare say it is not their fault, Timothy! I have been watching. I have seen the way they ignore you, brush you off, and rebuke you. How they don’t believe in you or trust you with anything anymore. How they have seemingly ‘moved on’ and left you behind.”

Ra’s sits on the side of the bed, turned to face him. “But even through all of this, even though you are but a shadow of yourself…” Ra’s takes hold of one of Tim’s hands and raises it to his lips. “You are still so radiant.”

Tim feels his heart clench and for the first time in a long while it’s not from the coughing fits.

Ra’s keeps Tim’s hand in one of his own as he leans forward to hover over him once more. Their noses are mere centimeters apart and Tim’s eyes cross against his will, moving across Ra’s face, admiring each feature.

When their eyes meet once again, Ra’s is smiling morosely.

“I will not let you die.”


End file.
